


Just the Same but Brand New

by vulpixel



Category: Claymore (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28691157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpixel/pseuds/vulpixel
Summary: i just love these two so much and i want more content of the things that happened during the 7 year gap
Relationships: Deneve/Helen (Claymore)
Kudos: 8





	Just the Same but Brand New

The leaves crunch under their feet as they journey forward. The two walk side by side, keeping an eye out for food. The forest is strangely empty. Not a soul in sight except for the occasional bird. Nothing big enough to eat, not that Helen would care. If she had her way, she would bite into an egg raw. Deneve has a more… _sophisticated_ taste. Namely, she prefers to eat things that are at least somewhat edible and preferably cooked.

Then, Deneve feels it. A powerful aura lingers in the air, carrying a sense of danger with it. Deneve shivers.

"Do you sense that?" She asks Helen.

"Sense what? How hungry I am?" Her friend responds.

Deneve holds back from pummeling Helen into the dirt. "No. The yoki. It's strong. There's yoma around here."

"There's Yoma everywhere. What's new?" Helen says.

Deneve can't resist this time. She smacks her partner in the back of the head. "Idiot."

"What was that for?"

"Can you not sense that?"

"Sense what?"

Suddenly, there is a huge crash. A rumble seems to shake the entire forest. What few animals remain run for cover. A flock of birds squeal with fear as they fly into the sky. The two warriors instinctively reach for their swords. The shaking continues in a steady rhythm. It moves away from them.

"It's on the move," Deneve says.

"Well, let's go get it!" Helen starts running toward the source.

"Helen! Wait!"

She never waits. Deneve sprints to catch up to her. They trudge through the trees, getting closer to the source of yoki. The energy only gets stronger as they approach. It's enough to make Deneve hesitate.

"Helen, stop!" She grabs her by the back of her armor.

Helen trips and falls at the sudden grab, but her friend keeps her upright.

"What gives? That's probably an awakened being up ahead, and we gotta smash it before it gets into town!"

"Do you have a death wish?" Deneve responds, "We need to see it for ourselves before we jump right in."

"Fine. I'll look at it before I tear it to shreds."

With what little restraint she has, Helen follows Deneve along. They continue at a slightly slower pace, taking care not to make too much noise. Eventually, they approach a cliff. Helen nearly falls off it. She stumbles back and falls onto the ground. Before her lies a valley of trees. At the bottom, an enormous awakened being walks, towering above the forest. Its twisted arms drag on the ground, destroying the nature around it. Its muscles pulse with an irregular beat. A thick hide like armor covers its neck and back but leaves the head vulnerable. It looks brutish and slow, probably one of the weaker ones. Despite that, it would require a team to take down. Not that Helen cares. Her sword is at the ready. Her whole body itches to jump in. Who is she to deny her most carnal desires?

"I bet ya I could take that thing down in one hit!" Helen starts raring to go. Her arm twists and locks in like a spring. It strains as she holds it back. In an instant, she leaps off the cliff.

"Helen!" Deneve should've known better. With a frustrated groan, she draws her sword and rushes after her.

Helen hits it from behind, aiming for its disgusting head. The beast turns its head at the wrong second. Instinctively, it flings its arm at her. She dodges around it, springing off of it for extra momentum. Her sword hits flesh, and she lets loose. Her arm spins in a frenzy as she presses into the monster. The monster brings both its arms up, and in one sweeping motion, claps her between its fists. Helen blinks in shock. Her body crushes under the weight. She can feel her bones snapping. She coughs up blood.

"Fuck." Is all she says.

Suddenly, Deneve swoops in. Her sword cuts right into the creature's ghastly arms. It cries out in pain, loosening its grip enough for Helen to slash her way out. The shreds fall to the ground along with the woman. Deneve breaks Helen's fall before she can hit the rocks below.

"Did no one teach you patience?" Deneve groans at her. She quickly checks her friend's vitals.

"I thought I had that. It's faster than it looks," Helen says.

"Helen-"

"Okay. Maybe I miscalculated how strong that thing is. Will you please help me tear that bitch apart? It's starting to get on my nerves."

"With pleasure. Idiot."

"Hey, you're the idiot," Helen quips.

"I'm not the one with three broken ribs," Deneve shoots back.

"Fair enough. Give me a second."

"You don't have a second." She scoops her friend up and leaps out of the way of an attack. The awakened being slaps its handless arm down. The ground disrupts, sending the two flying. Deneve holds tight to Helen. She lands safely on a rocky ledge out of the monster's reach. She lies Helen down.

"Stay there," she says, "I'll fend it off while you heal."

With a flash, she disappears into the valley. The creature looks down at her with soulless eyes. It towers over. Still, Deneve stays strong. She grips tight to her two swords.

The creature attacks first. Its movements are predictable. Deneve dodges and counter attacks with a slash. More of its arm falls off. It only gets angrier with each blow. It lets out a deafening roar. Deneve flinches at the sound. Again, she advances on the beast. It comes down on her once more. This time, it uses its other arm. She sidesteps the blow with ease. The monster attacks again. Its swings get more desperate.

This time, Deneve goes in for the attack. She runs straight at it, only side stepping at the last moment to hurt it from the side. The beast twists its body to counter attack. With a desperate swing, it misses. Deneve hits it once more. Her sword slashes into the flesh of its leg. Its hand comes down, and the warrior jumps atop it to climb up. Suddenly, the flash comes up to grab her. She slices the tendrils away, but more come up to hold her down. They quickly overwhelm her.

Those same soulless eyes stare down at her. The monster opens its mouth, and an abyss of spikes lie within. Tendrils shoot out from its mouth, pulling the warrior in at a creeping pace. Deneve struggles against them. Her eyes flash with rage. The yoma blood pumps through her body. She tears the tendrils off her. Now, the awakened being launches its full assault. With a terrifying surge of energy, it grabs her with its last remaining hand. It slowly crushes her with all its strength. She screams out in pain.

Regrets fill Deneve's mind. She prepares herself for a slow terrible end. Hopefully, Helen got away in time. The monster pulls her in, unhinging its jaw to suck her in.

"Hey, bitch, that's my snack! Hands off!" Helen leaps in, sword gleaming in the sunlight. She dives into its shoulder with enough force to cut the limb completely off. It shreds to pieces like beef through a meat grinder. The arm falls lifelessly to the ground with a loud thud.

Helen looks to Deneve, seeming proud of herself. She digs into the beast, stabbing her sword and slashing as deep as she can cut. The monster's thick hide keeps her from injuring it fatally. Deneve unearths herself from the being's dead flesh. She doubles over in pain. Her arm is barely attached to her body.

"I'll take care of it!" Helen calls out, "You heal up!"

"You can't take it on your own!" Deneve yells back.

Not that the other woman will listen. She goes in for the kill, only for the awakened being to retaliate. She bounces around as she dodges its behemoth attacks. Tendrils fly, and Helen cuts them down one after the other. The beast moves slow, but every movement is lethal. Its barrage is relentless. She dodges each attack, biding her time as she determines where to hit next. It takes all her restraint not to go all out, but she knows another all out attack isn’t enough to break its skin.

“You just won’t stop!” Helen yells at it. The beast grunts in response, throwing another attack at her. She barely dodges it. Her stamina is starting to wear away.

She needs to hit it harder, but she can’t get close enough to its weak point.

“I’ll distract it!” Deneve calls to her. She charges at the beast, sword in hand. Her arm pulses as it hasn’t fully healed yet. It looks grotesque with its primitive nature, but it will do. She has a duty to fulfil. And more importantly, she can’t let Helen die a dumbass.

A few slashes of her sword, and the monster changes its target. Helen puts her focus into her drill sword. She tightens it until it hurts. A loud crash, and the awakened one throws its last limb onto the ground. Deneve easily dodges. Its attacks grow desperate. Soon, Deneve gets caught in the crossfire. It manages to smack her, sending her flying.

At this moment, Helen lets out her attack. She leaps from the ground, sword in front of her. She pierces the air like an arrow. Her sword spins intensely fast. It easily carves into the flesh underneath its chin. The monster gurgles in pain. As a last resort, it wraps the tendrils around her, trying to pull her away. Her arms stretch to continue her assault. Soon, the monster’s head detaches from its body. The awakened being falls limply to the ground, taking Helen with it. Deneve chops up what remains of the head.

Helen emerges victorious. She claws at the ground as she squirms out from underneath the tremendous beast.

“Helen!” Deneve cries out with relief as she sees the woman.

The woman grins. “I lived.”

“Barely.”

“But I still lived.” Helen struggles to her feet. Her friend rushes over to her.

"Can you stop trying to get yourself killed for like two seconds?" Deneve scolds her friend, slapping her hand on the shoulder.

Helen hisses with pain as she clutches her shoulder. "Someone has to do it."

They both fall to the ground, too tired to stand. Helen gently leans into Deneve who tends to her own injuries.

"You can do it without almost dying," she says.

"What's it matter anyway?" Helen responds, "We're just soldiers. It doesn't matter if we live or die. We'll just get replaced by some other trainee with ridiculously overpowered sword moves. Maybe my replacement will have snake legs too."

"Do you want to die?" Deneve asks, her words more serious than usual.

"Not particularly, but I know it's gonna happen eventually. I shouldn't fear it."

"But you shouldn't rush blindly into it either."

"What's it matter?"

" _What's it matter_?" Her friend huffs, "What matters is that maybe _someone_ wants you to stay alive."

"And who's this someone?" Helen wonders, tapping her chin in thought. She bites her tongue as she holds back a laugh.

"Me, you dumbass. I care about you." Deneve slaps her on the shoulder again. She cannot help but smile.

"I knew that." Helen coughs. She rubs her pained shoulder.

"Sure you did."

"Oh, please. I can tell you like me. I just don't get why."

To be fair, Deneve isn't sure either. Something about the woman just attracts her like no other. It's certainly not her eating habits. Or how she always kicks her in her sleep. Or how she acts while drunk. Or her temper. Or the way she never shuts up.

"It's the little things," she says, "I like how you always share your food with me, and how you always check on me first after a big battle. I like your laugh even when it’s annoying. I like how you never give up, no matter how tough it gets. You look danger in the eye, and you don't even flinch. You're braver than anyone I know. And certainly much braver than me."

"Don't say that. You're really damn brave yourself. It takes a lot of guts to save my ass every single time I charge headfirst into danger. It's comforting knowing you have my back."

Her words make Deneve's chest feel light. For a brief moment, the pain fades away.

"Denny, what are you doing?" Helen asks suddenly.

"I, uh, I'm not sure," Deneve says, arms wrapped awkwardly around her friend, "I'm hugging you, I guess."

Her friend lets it happen. "I gotta be honest. I do wonder why you follow me so blindly after all these years. I'm surely going to lead you to your death one of these days."

"I would rather die by your side than live my life without you," she answers. Those words hurt.

Helen's demeanor changes. Her body slackens, and she casually slips an arm over Deneve's shoulder. She asks quietly, "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes, Helen. I've fallen for you hard." Deneve tenses as she admits it. No battle has felt harder than this moment. She would rather be torn apart limb by limb by Riful than admit her feelings for her closest comrade. Yet here she is, opening her heart and feeling vulnerable for the first time since she was a child. She hates it.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't in love with you too," Helen says quietly. For the first time in forever, she seems shy. Deneve can barely hear the words out of her mouth.

"You love me?"

"More than anything."

"I love you too."

And just like that, her usual facade returns. Helen lets out a hearty laugh and playfully coos at her, "That's cute! You love me! What a dork."

"You said it first!" Deneve fumes.

"You have a crush!" Helen dissolves into a fit of laughter. She can barely contain herself as she rolls on the ground.

"I'm starting to reconsider."

"Ah, fuck. I'm sorry. I just... ugh. I don't know how to process emotions. We're not made for that. Our lives are a constant cycle of slaying yoma and surviving. We're not made to have emotions. We don't get friends and family. We don't have time. We can't get attached. We just keep walking and never loom behind us."

"Yet here we are," Deneve says, "Sitting here with all these feelings we can't process because we're trained to be killing machines."

"It's the trauma." Helen sits back up.

"Do you not feel it?"

"Feel what?" She asks.

"More human," her friend explains, "It’s hard to describe, but ever since we met Miria, I feel like I'm becoming more of my own person. You're certainly a personality and a half."

"Aw, thank you." Helen grins cutely at her. "I get what you mean. Despite working our hardest these past couple years, I feel I've had more time to be my own person. But I don't think it's because of Miria."

"Then, what is it?"

"It's because of you, dummy. You make me feel whole. Or human or whatever. It might not look like it, but you keep me grounded. I care about you."

That familiar feeling swells in her chest again. Deneve can hardly breathe. Although, that is mostly attributed to her broken rib.

"Can I kiss you?" Deneve asks suddenly, "I want to know what it feels like."

At this, Helen seems almost apprehensive yet bursting with eagerness. "I want to know too."

Her lips taste like blood, but neither of them care. Helen presses into the other woman hard despite her injuries. It hurts, but she barely notices. Her arms wrap around Deneve, pulling her close and never wanting to let go. The kiss is brief, but it feels like a lifetime. For the first time in years, Deneve feels more human than monster. When they finally part, she can still feel Helen on her lips.

"That was good." Is all Helen says. She is strangely quiet. Deneve enjoys the moment while it lasts.

"It was," she answers with an equal lack of words.

"I can't believe we've missed out on doing that for years."

"We still have the years to come."

"Good. It'll give me something to look forward to,” Helen replies.

They sit in silence for a moment just wrapped in each other’s arms. For the first time ever, Helen feels like she is home.

“So this is what it takes to shut you up,” Deneve teases. She can’t help but laugh.

“Shut up!” The other woman barks. Now it’s her turn to slap her friend in the shoulder.

To her dismay, Deneve pulls away. With a pained groan, she stands up, holding her hand to her partner. “I’m just teasing you. We should head back before the others come looking for us.”

“Can’t we stay just a moment longer?” Helen asks.

“No, but we can take our time walking back. Maybe enjoy the scenery.”

“Enjoy the scenery? Who does that nowadays?” She takes her hand and hoists herself up.

So they take their time walking back. By now, the sun is setting, making the sky a glorious array of pinks and oranges. It’s certainly not the first sunset they’ve seen, but it’s the first one they’ve taken the time to notice. The others are definitely wondering where they are. Still, they want to enjoy this moment together. They don’t know what their future holds. All the while, their hands brush together, making Deneve’s head swirl with thoughts. Part of her wants to close the gap, but the other part of her does not feel ready. She shouldn't feel this way. Nothing has changed between them. Yet she still finds herself apprehensive.

Eventually, Helen makes the choice for them. Deneve feels another hand slip into hers. She cannot bear to look down. Instead, she glances at Helen who seems strangely unable to make eye contact. She smiles.

“The sunset is pretty,” Helen says, looking anywhere but at the woman next to her.

But Deneve can’t take her eyes off Helen. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

**Author's Note:**

> shows up to a dead fandom a decade later hiiiiiiiiii


End file.
